Friday 8th May, 2009. Official adoption day! 414 days after first meeting Maya.
We had a lovely day yesterday. Got up early and drove to the court to see our judge and plead our case to issue the final decree asap. I was shaking in my boots, Maya was charming everybody left, right and centre with smiles, waves, toddles, dah dah dah, etc.
Saw the judge, in her office, with her assistant, one of her secretaries and another random lawyer, and she was lovely. Came and gave us a big hug, big kiss to Maya, said, right, where's their case? to her assistant, let's get this finished, these people have suffered enough, what a beautiful girl, blah, blah, blah. And as we were standing there, me agog, too nervous to get any words out, the assistant pulled out our case, and they got working on it right there on the spot. Wow.
The final decree was issued today, and now, Ahmed and I are Maya's parents, totally, officially, completely, irrevocably, forever. What an amazing relief!
Next steps (just so you know):
Monday 11th: Adoption order is published on court's public announcements website, and our lawyer submits some papers we signed
Wednesday 13th: Adoption papers are ready to be picked up from court
Wed or Thur: Apply for Maya's birth certificate with her new name and us as her parents. She has been Maya Iliana Noriega Medina until now and will become Maya Bulbulia Smart
Same day (hopefully): pick up the translations of adoption decree, birth certificate, and get them notarized
Same day (possibly): leave to Mexico City
Next day: Apply for Maya's passport
??? days later: Get passport/birth cert/adoption decree notarized at three different ministries in Mexico City. Scan copies and send to ??? to apply for visit visa to UAE
Same day: leave Mexico to Toronto, avoiding the USA, as Maya won't be able to land there as a Mexican citizen without a visa (takes months to apply for apparently).
So, potentially, we're looking at being out of here in 2 weeks' time...! I thought we'd be at this stage when I arrived in Tijuana, hence the rather frustrated feeling when I first got here, and had the swine flu scare, but now it's full steam ahead!
In the meantime, Ahmed's found a villa to move into in Abu Dhabi, just off the island, so since our lives are obviously very boring and we need more excitement, he's going to move, possibly in the next two weeks. Madness!
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5 comments:
So Cool!
Finally at the stage that you have dreamed of. Now it is real.
Another memorable date to celebrate
Congratulations to the proud parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and many friends of Adorable Maya, the Explorer.
Emma Ahmed and Maya, Have a wonderful life together.
Th the rest should be a piece of cake---raising Maya!
I do not know you but have been reading your blog. I am truly happy your journey has come to an end (or can finally start). God bless you all
yay Em, it's been so uplifting to read your posts lately. Kind of how Charles Dickens' readers must have been as they waited for each new chapter every few days....
Please continue though, I am hanging out for the final chapter where Em, Ahmed and Maya are tucked up in their own place together and they can all live happily ever after. You deserve it for sure!
yahoo, bug higs, and all that, ma x x x
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